Blame It on Bath (The Truth About the Duke, #2) by Caroline Linden

May 17, 2013 Lady Wesley rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites, amz-rev

This is a delightful follow-on to One Night in London, part of The Truth About the Duke trilogy. The three deLacey brothers, sons of the late Duke of Durham, are trying to find a blackmailer and secure evidence to show whether their father was a bigamist. If he was, they will be considered bastards and lose virtually all of their inheritance.

What I Liked
• Captain Lord Gerard deLacey. He's handsome (of course), brash, adventurous, and loyal. He's the youngest son, serving in the wars against Napo...more This is a delightful follow-on to One Night in London, part of The Truth About the Duke trilogy. The three deLacey brothers, sons of the late Duke of Durham, are trying to find a blackmailer and secure evidence to show whether their father was a bigamist. If he was, they will be considered bastards and lose virtually all of their inheritance.

What I Liked
• Captain Lord Gerard deLacey. He's handsome (of course), brash, adventurous, and loyal. He's the youngest son, serving in the wars against Napoleon. Under any circumstances his fortune will be relatively small, so he's decided to be on the lookout for a rich bride while he travels to Bath to track down information on the blackmailer. When a perfectly strange wealthy woman proposes a marriage of convenience, he barely hesitates before deciding to take on the challenge.

• Kate deLacey. You can't help but feel sorry for her at first. She's hardly had an enjoyable life, despite her wealth. Her vain, narcissistic mother has convinced her she's too plain to attract a man and married her off to a middle-aged viscount, who ignored and abused her. Now that he's dead, her mother is pressuring her to marry the viscount's odious heir, convinced that nobody better will ever come along. Kate is such a doormat that she doubts her ability to withstand her mother's pressure. The most enjoyable part of the book is watching her emerge from her shell, in response to Gerard's kindness and attention. She doesn't become a "beauty," but rather simply a beautiful person.

• Sexytimes. Gerard wants to break down Kate's defenses, and she discovers her previously unknown wanton side. Excellent love scenes.

• The love story. Kate harbors a childhood passion for Gerard, but he has no memory of meeting her. Linden does an excellent job of showing Gerard's surprise and wonder as he gradually finds himself falling in love with his wife. This is just a very sweet story.

What I Didn't Like
• Not a lot of progress is made toward resolving the mystery, but after the first book, I came to realize that it wouldn't be wrapped up until the third.

• As a 21st century woman, I often have trouble understanding an 19th century woman's desperation to get married. Linden mentions several times that a widow was almost as independent as a man, so it was difficult to see why Kate thought marriage, or death, was her only way to avoid the odious heir. It was hard to believe that she was so cowed by her mother. She was so spineless in this regard, but yet showed great spirit elsewhere.

• (view spoiler)

These two volumes of The Truth About the Duke were my first Caroline Linden reads, and I find her writing crisp and witty. She does not indulge in one of my pet peeves, namely using an abundance of one-word sentences and one-sentence paragraphs. It's a pleasure to read someone who knows and uses the English language so well. (less)

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Apr 13, 2012 Christy rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: own-it-kindle

3.5 stars
I liked this book fine and I'll read the next in the series but it didn't stand out as anything special. The elements were all there: charming rogue, marriage of convenience, undermining mother, but they didn't come together as anything magical. Still, there's a place for decent, solidly written, enjoyable romances, and this series fits in that place.

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Apr 04, 2013 Amy Jacobs rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: books-i-own

Blame It on Bath is the second novel in the Truth About the Duke series by author Caroline Linden. The main characters featured are Gerard de Lacey and Katherine Howe.

After finishing the last book in the series, I was a little curious about Gerard. At first, I wasn't sure if I was going to like reading about his journey. He is the youngest of the bunch and he seemed a little hot headed. I hoped the author would make him a little more interesting with some softer emotions shown to the reader in h...more

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Dec 16, 2012 Jessi rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012, 2012-challenge, appealing-characteristic-story, historical, romance, part-of-a-series

Katherine Howe got married to suit her parents and it didn't work out well. Now, her mother is pressuring her to marry the husband's heir. It seems her late husband borrowed money from Katherine's father and the account is coming due. He thinks that the best way to solve everyone's problems is for the two of them to marry.
But Katherine doesn't want to marry the heir. He's a very religious man who will only kill her spirit. Instead, she decides to propose to Gerard de Lacey. He helped her one tim...more

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Aug 20, 2012 Mackenzie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: regency-romance

This book is the second in "The Truth about the Duke" trilogy. It's time frame takes place during the first book, but it can be a stand alone book. I do think it's better to read the first in the series before this one as the first one introduces the family better and sets up for the series well.

Before their father, the Duke of Durham dies, he admits to his sons that someone has been trying to blackmail him as he had actually been previously married and rather than divorce, he and his first wif...more This book is the second in "The Truth about the Duke" trilogy. It's time frame takes place during the first book, but it can be a stand alone book. I do think it's better to read the first in the series before this one as the first one introduces the family better and sets up for the series well.

Before their father, the Duke of Durham dies, he admits to his sons that someone has been trying to blackmail him as he had actually been previously married and rather than divorce, he and his first wife went their separate ways. Gerald, the hero of our book, is the third son. Military by career, his need to take action with this knowledge has him planning to find the blackmailer, even though the people his father hired was unable to do so.

During his preparations to leave, he is approached by Lady Katherine Howe. She is a widow from a rather lack luster marriage and her family is expecting/pushing her to wed the new Lord Howe. To keep her family in the dark about her plans, she sneaks out of the house and finds Gerald in an inn and proposes marriage to him. Gerald knows that even with the completion of his family's dilemma, he is going to have to marry a woman that is well off into to keep some of the lifestyle that he has enjoyed while his father was still alive. Upon checking her story and learning that she is an heiress even beyond what he expected to find, they marry and leave immediately for Bath as that is where some of the blackmailer mailed letters to the family.

Katherine, or Kate as Gerald prefers to call her, has always been beaten down by her family and hadn't really been given a second thought in her marriage. Her marriage to Gerald is quite beyond anything she has experienced and as time goes on, discovers herself and that she doesn't ever want to truly go back to the person she was without Gerald, even though she feels he doesn't and can never love plain old her.

Gerald had wanted a marriage, where, if it wasn't love, at least perhaps it could hold friendship, a regard towards one another, companionship. And so he starts the marriage with this in mind and eventually he lets her in to deeper parts of his life and finds that he enjoys her being there, sharing things with her, ending the day with her snuggled up in bed, having her in his life. Out of all the men, still, he wondered why him? Why ask him, even in light of the Durham Dilemma?

Pushing her to find the answer, she finally gives in and tells him that ever since she's been a young girl and he took the time to help her get home in the pouring rain, she's been infatuated with him. She just knew in her heart that he would make her happy and treat her right and she had hopes that their relationship would grow into something more than just a marriage of convenience as she had fallen in love with him. Stunned, he didn't know what to do with the information and when they are interrupted by his quest to find out more information to help his family, he leaves on uncertain terms. His time away from her helps him sort through his feelings and help him decide what he wants in life.

From book 1, I didn't expect Gerald to be as gentle and caring as the author portrays him in this one. This was a very soft and gentle romantic tale of discovery on both the hero/heroine's part. I enjoyed watching the two open up together and grow together as a couple.

The end of the book also set up book 3 really well and I'm looking forward towards it coming out. (less)

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Jul 11, 2012 Belinda rated it 5 of 5 stars

Blame It on Bath by Caroline Linden is an excellent read about two people who were destined to meet. In the story we see a woman who does her duty early in life by marrying an older man because her options are limited. She is not beautiful in the current mode of the ton. That's how Katherine Howe feels in her life when she's faced with another marriage her fashionable and very pretty Mother wants.
So Katherine decides to take matters in hand and picks out her own spouse. The man whom she has had...more

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Apr 01, 2012 Mary Gramlich rated it 5 of 5 stars

BLAME IT ON BATH: The Truth About the Duke by Caroline Linden

What is the defining reason why you choose me?

In an effort to save both of their reputations and provide some semblance for a descent life Katherine Howe and Captain Lord Gerard de Lacey, merge their lives in an agreed upon marriage. This should have been an uncomplicated relationship void of anything messy like love or commitment, yet Katherine is the romantic searching for more than a bed partner and Gerard is proving to be a wonderf...more BLAME IT ON BATH: The Truth About the Duke by Caroline Linden

What is the defining reason why you choose me?

In an effort to save both of their reputations and provide some semblance for a descent life Katherine Howe and Captain Lord Gerard de Lacey, merge their lives in an agreed upon marriage. This should have been an uncomplicated relationship void of anything messy like love or commitment, yet Katherine is the romantic searching for more than a bed partner and Gerard is proving to be a wonderful surprise. Gerard on the other hand finds this the match necessary as his wealth had to be self-made, the curse of being the third son and all. With Katherine’s money, Gerard can also find the person behind the attempt to ruin his family name and take away everything they own.

Rumors abound in London of the Durham Dilemma, family ruination, and the possibility of losing everything his family built their lives upon. Gerard is going to get out of London and the hunt for the blackmailer takes the newlyweds away from the whirlwind and puts them in a place no one knows them, Bath. Gerard search starts here and hopefully he can unfold the story of not only who is behind all this trouble make it stop. What Gerard also discovers is he quite likes marriage and Kate is a complete delight. Watching Kate grow from a reserved into a curious and adventurous woman is bringing a sense of joy to Gerard he never expected. A marriage of convenience this may have started out as but exhilaration is what it has become.

Katherine worries she is not enough, perhaps too old, and just not pretty enough yet every night Gerard reminds her that none of this is true. She helps Gerard release his demons and helps in the search but getting Gerard to understand that it is okay to love her is a more daunting task. Both of them are searching for something and when they find it, will that bring them closer or drive them apart.

Caroline Linden is an author who knows how to write great Historical Romance books. Ms. Linden provides fun, a sense of intrigue, and just the right amount of romance to make this a dazzling combination for success.(less)

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Mar 09, 2012 My Book Addiction and More MBA rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-romance

BLAME IT ON BATH: THE TRUTH ABOUT THE DUKE by Caroline Linden is an exciting historical romance. It is the second in the "The Truth About The Duke" trilogy,but can be read as a stand alone. See "One Night in London". What an exciting addition to the historical romance community. I so enjoy this series on three brothers,who learn their father's deathbed secret that could cause them to lose their inheritance and their status in society,and is being blackmailed or so it seems. "Blame It On Bath" is...more

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Mar 02, 2012 Amanda rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: romance

I enjoyed the complexity of this novel. First, there is the premise that the hero needs a wife because someone is blackmailing his family. As the youngest son, he does his duty by pursuing the blackmailer, because that is what a son is supposed to do. I enjoyed reading about a hero that is willing to stand up for his family. Second, the heroine grows a backbone at the beginning of the story and decides that she doesn't want to do what her mother or deceased husband's nephew decides for her. I li...more

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Feb 28, 2012 Melanie rated it 5 of 5 stars

“BLAME IT ON BATH” is the second book in Caroline Linden’s trilogy ‘Truth about the Duke’ series.

On his death bed, Duke of Durham needs forgiveness from his sons and so he asks the two of them that are present, Edward de Lacey, the spare and Captain Gerard de Lacey the hero, and the youngest, to forgive him for not being able to resolve the dilemma he’s now leaving it to them to solve. Soon, Ned and Gerard find out from their father’s solicitor, that some sixty years ago the Duke had been marrie...more “BLAME IT ON BATH” is the second book in Caroline Linden’s trilogy ‘Truth about the Duke’ series.

On his death bed, Duke of Durham needs forgiveness from his sons and so he asks the two of them that are present, Edward de Lacey, the spare and Captain Gerard de Lacey the hero, and the youngest, to forgive him for not being able to resolve the dilemma he’s now leaving it to them to solve. Soon, Ned and Gerard find out from their father’s solicitor, that some sixty years ago the Duke had been married than parted ways with the woman, but never annulled or dissolved the marriage before marrying their mother. And now apparently someone has come to possess that knowledge and is blackmailing the old Duke. Knowing that this information will bring huge scandal, brothers agree to try and solve this dilemma in their own way, but first they need to break this news to their oldest brother Charles, Lord Gresham.

While Edward, the middle son of the deceased Duke of Durham, is concentrating on the legal side of their claim (ONE NIGHT IN LONDON) Gerard de Lacey the youngest, is a man of action and as such needs to put his military expertise into pursuing the blackmailer. As his clues are pointing out toward Bath, he heads out that way but is confronted with a dilemma of his own that will change his life as well as his course of action.

Lady Katherine Howe is no beauty, and she knows it. She has only one wish now that she’s widowed and that is to get out from under the will of her late husband’s heir who is pursuing her to wed him as soon as possible. Knowing that she would be forced by her very strong willed and much beautiful mother to accept his suit, she comes up with her own plan of escape-by offering marriage to Gerard, who she very well knows is in a need of a wife with a substantial dowry.

“BLAME IT ON BATH” was so much fun to read. I loved the fact that both “ONE NIGHT IN LONDON” and “BLAME IT ON BATH” were stories that ran parallel to each other. How clever of you, Ms. Linden! The marriage of convenience trope has been done so many times before but never the less Ms. Linden made it interesting and fresh.

Gerard made a great hero to Kate’s intriguing and sharp heroine. I also liked that Kate was very ordinary ‘duck’ that ever so slowly turned into a ‘swan’. Her slow and quiet change brought on by the way Gerard treated her, was a joy to watch! As always, Ms. Linden brings us a very strong lead in Kate. She is a woman that knows her mind, yet like so many females out there, she has some self-esteem issue that she needs to deal with before she comes clean and admits to our hero that it was not by chance that she chose him for her spouse.

As for Gerard, he is aware that Kate is keeping crucial information from him, but after inquiring about her from her own solicitor, he agrees to the marriage, making sure that Kate knows that this will be a marriage in truth.

“BLAME IT ON BATH” has all the components required for a very interesting, sensual and entertaining romance and I give it five quills without hesitation, urging you to pick it up as soon as it hits the shelves on Feb 28th.

Melanie (for http://rcjrezine.com/)(less)

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Mar 26, 2013 Jessica rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: romance

This was a delightful and uplifting read after the maudlin one I just finished.

Blame it on Bath was my first Caroline Linden book and within 40 pages, I knew this book was a keeper. Gerard and Katherine were two souls thrown together by tragedy; Gerard suffering a societal blow from rumors of an illegitimate marriage in his father's past and Katherine under the thumb of her dead husband's nephew. One dark night in a covert pub, Katherine approaches Gerard about solving both their issues with a...more

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Feb 04, 2013 Leya rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: library-book

After reading the first book of The Truth About the Duke series, I wasn't too keen on reading the second straight away, but unfortunately my turn came up at the library and other readers were waiting for their turn. I was actually pretty surprised on how much I enjoyed this book. Don't get me wrong it wasn't a five star read, but it was way better than the first book in my honest opinion.

I truly enjoy the ugly duckling theme. Katherine has lived all her life behind the shadow of her beautiful mo...more

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Feb 19, 2013 Malin rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: my-books

Gerard de Lacey may be declared illegitimate because of a clandestine marriage his father, the recently deceased Duke of Durham, entered into in his youth, before he married Gerard's mother. A year before his death, the Duke started receiving letters blackmailing him. Now the London gossips won't stop talking about the "Durham Dilemma", his brother Edward is busy trying to prove their legitimacy through legal means, and his older brother Charlie, the heir, is mainly staying far away from the who...more Gerard de Lacey may be declared illegitimate because of a clandestine marriage his father, the recently deceased Duke of Durham, entered into in his youth, before he married Gerard's mother. A year before his death, the Duke started receiving letters blackmailing him. Now the London gossips won't stop talking about the "Durham Dilemma", his brother Edward is busy trying to prove their legitimacy through legal means, and his older brother Charlie, the heir, is mainly staying far away from the whole business. Gerard thinks the best way of solving the situation is tracking down the blackmailer. He also plans on finding himself a rich wife as soon as possible, so that he can secure his future, even if the scandal is not resolved in the de Lacey brothers' favour.

The blackmail letters were posted from Bath, so Gerard resolves to go there. Before he even leaves London, he may have solved the issue of securing a rich bride. Lady Katherine Howe, a recently widowed lady, approaches him at an inn, offering him marriage and her enormous fortune of nearly one hundred thousand pounds. She needs a husband in a hurry, or she'll have to marry her dead husband's unpleasant nephew. She knows Gerard needs money, in case the courts declare him and his brothers bastards. What she doesn't tell Gerard is that she grew up not far from the ducal seat in Sussex, and has nurtured an unrequited infatuation for him for over a decade.

So Gerard suddenly finds himself very much married, to a complete stranger. It doesn't take him long to see that the combination of Katherine's beautiful, drama-queen mother, and her much older, stern and overbearing former husband have had a massive impact on her self-esteem, confidence and general demeanour She seems desperate to please him, and is extremely surprised every time he wants to spend any time talking to her or you know, have marital relations with her. She's even more surprised to find out that sex can be fun and enjoyable. Of course, he also needs to learn that actually sharing his thoughts and feelings with his wife is good, she won't just be distracted with more smexy times every time difficult topics come up.

I mentioned that I liked the fact that the heroine in the last book in the series, One Night in London, was a widow with a happy former marriage, who seemed to have a very positive attitude to romance, sex and relationships in general. Well, here we get the opposite. Poor Lady Katherine has been told that she's plain and dull and unattractive since she was little, and her mother has made sure she got everyone's attention at all times by making sure her daughter dressed in frumpy, unflattering clothing. Then she was married off to a much older man, who mistreated her and had several affairs.

So it's no surprise that she built her infatuation of the gallant young Gerard de Lacey up as something wondrous, and decided to go after him when he was finally in a position that he was unlikely to accept her offer of marriage. He really does a very good job being patient and understanding and encouraging, insisting that she buy colourful and pretty dresses and not cower all the damn time. I can't really fault him for being so thoughtless that when he finally gets a lead in the blackmailing case, he goes off for weeks without sending her word, because it's established that he's rather impulsive and rarely thinks things through carefully.

I still enjoyed this book a lot, if maybe not quite as much as the first book in the series. Next up - the resolution of the whole blackmailing scandal, and the eldest brother Charlie's book. (less)

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Jun 15, 2012 Melissa rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: romantic-reads

Part #2 of the Durham Dilemma, focusing on the blackmail angle. Gerard and Kate's story doesn't have the instant-lust aspects that Edward and Francesa's did, but has a very real-world feel which I liked. (view spoiler)

A few aspects of Northanger Abbey/Persuasion wer...more

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Sep 13, 2012 Lil' Grogan rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: 1-5, historical-romance, pull, mystery

Didn't make much sense. Two strangers who still seem like strangers in the end. Not much romance here as Gerard is too caught up in the blackmail scheme to really spend time with her on page. I realize this is part of a series, but it was still annoying that so much time was spent on something that was unresolved. The book doesn't really end, it stops at what really is a chapter ending.

Gerard becomes unbearably schmaltzy for no reason, her "falling in love" consists of an incident more than 10...more

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Apr 11, 2012 Dabney rated it 3 of 5 stars

When I was growing up, my mother made it clear there was a path for nice girls who wanted to wed some day. One met a wonderful man, fell in love, married, and then had sex. In Blame it on Bath, Ms. Linden’s latest enjoyable entry in her The Truth about the Duke series, heroine Katherine Howe follows that path only to find her husband, Captain Gerard de Lacey, has not. Gerard does wait until after he weds Katherine to bed her. But, much to Katherine’s dismay, he completely skips the falling in l...more When I was growing up, my mother made it clear there was a path for nice girls who wanted to wed some day. One met a wonderful man, fell in love, married, and then had sex. In Blame it on Bath, Ms. Linden’s latest enjoyable entry in her The Truth about the Duke series, heroine Katherine Howe follows that path only to find her husband, Captain Gerard de Lacey, has not. Gerard does wait until after he weds Katherine to bed her. But, much to Katherine’s dismay, he completely skips the falling in love part and appears quite content to do so.

Gerard is the youngest of the Duke of Durham’s three sons. The three men are currently living under a cloud of suspicion dubbed by society as the Durham Dilemma. On his deathbed, their father confessed a whopping secret: He’d married as a young man then separated from but never divorced the woman. Thus, his marriage to his sons’ mother, the Duchess of Durham, long dead, was quite possibly an invalid one. The Duke never spoke to anyone of his early marriage, but in the months before he died he'd been receiving blackmail letters threatening to publish proof of his earlier union. Were it to be proven the Duke was indeed married to someone other than Gerard’s mother and that woman had been alive when he wed the Duchess, his three sons would be illegitimate and would lose their fortunes, titles, and entailed properties.

Gerard’s middle brother, Edward, the hero of the first book in the series, One Night in London, is trying to resolve the problem through Britain’s legal system. Gerard, who has spent his adult life in the army, has no patience for that slow moving process and he decides to track down the blackmailer himself. He also plans to find and wed a wealthy woman before the Durham Dilemma scandal further taints his prospects. If his family does lose everything, Gerard will be left with only a small estate in Cornwall and an annual income of a thousand pounds a year. He, who has grown up as a Duke’s son, doesn’t want a life of comparative poverty and sees marrying for money as the only sure solution to his looming misfortune.

Two of the four blackmail letters were posted from Bath, and so there Gerald decides to go. On his way, he stops and spends the night at an inn on the outskirts of London. He is musing over his troubles when there is a knock on the door of his room. A servant woman begs him to come to the inn’s private parlor and meet with her mistress, whose name she does not give. Gerard whose “abiding weakness was curiosity,” goes to the parlor and encounters a woman (he thinks) he’s never met before. She introduces herself as Katherine Howe and, after swearing him to secrecy about their meeting, asks him to marry her.

Katherine is a widow of thirty, considered by most to be a plain, quiet, and serious woman. Her husband died less than a year ago, and she, much to her horror, is being pressured into marrying his heir, a cold and dour man named Lucien Howe. Lucien is desperate to marry Katherine. Katherine is a wealthy woman — she inherited over a hundred thousand pounds from her father. Her husband, Viscount Howe, left Lucien saddled with debt, much of which is owed to Katherine (the note was originally held by Katherine’s father and when he died, it became hers.) Lucien has no way to pay the money he owes and sees marriage to Katherine as the only way he can escape penury. Katherine’s mother Mary, an unpleasant, conniving, vain woman, also wants Katherine to wed Lucien so that she, Mary, will remain the mother-in-law of a wealthy peer. Katherine would rather die than marry the grim and ascetic Lucien but she is increasingly anxious that he and her mother will somehow force her to do so.

So, knowing of the Durham Dilemma, she seeks out Gerard and offers him her fortune in exchange for his hand. Unlike Gerard, Katherine knows the night she meets him in the inn is not the first time the two have met. Katherine grew up in the same town as Gerard and, twelve years earlier, when Katherine was caught walking in downpour, Gerard came upon her on the road, swept her up onto his horse, and gave her a ride back to her home. That act of consideration on his part stirred something in Katherine’s heart and she’s been in love with him ever since. As she explains it, he was the first man to ever put his arms around her willingly. Her marriage was not a close one; for a dozen years she’s thought of Gerard as ”Her knight, her hero, the ideal man she had kept in heart." When she learned of his situation, she decided to pursue him. Not only would marriage to him free her from Lucien’s grasp; finally she’d be with the man she loves. She tells Gerard nothing of their past or her feelings and presents marriage as simply a convenient exchange of her wealth for his protection.

This is a partial review. Please go to likesbooks.com (All About Romance) to read the rest of the review.

http://www.likesbooks.com/cgi-bin/boo...One Night in London (less)

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Feb 28, 2012 Kat rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: historical, review, romance, read-2012

My review originally posted on Joyfully Reviewed: http://www.joyfullyreviewed.com/new-r...

Just before he died, the Duke of Durham revealed to his three sons that he was being blackmailed. Why? Because the duke had married someone before he married his sons’ mother. Normally that wouldn’t be a problem, except for the fact that the duke never bothered to divorce his first wife and he doesn’t know if she was still living when he married his second wife. Now whispers abound that the de Lacey brother...more My review originally posted on Joyfully Reviewed: http://www.joyfullyreviewed.com/new-r...

Just before he died, the Duke of Durham revealed to his three sons that he was being blackmailed. Why? Because the duke had married someone before he married his sons’ mother. Normally that wouldn’t be a problem, except for the fact that the duke never bothered to divorce his first wife and he doesn’t know if she was still living when he married his second wife. Now whispers abound that the de Lacey brothers may be illegitimate and they need to discover the truth about their father’s first marriage.

Gerard de Lacey, the youngest brother, is determined to catch the blackmailer and question him. But just before he leaves for Bath, a mysterious woman presents him with an interesting proposition: marriage. Gerard hadn’t planned on entering a marriage with a woman he barely knows, but Katherine Howe is a wealthy widow who needs to get married before her dead husband’s nephew tries to marry her for her fortune. Gerard can’t deny that Katharine’s money is very appealing – after all, he might soon lose his inheritance – but it’s the woman herself who tempts him like nothing and no one else has. Will a hasty marriage of convenience turn into something more than either the bride or groom ever expected?

It was almost impossible for me to put Blame It on Bath down once I started it. Caroline Linden has delivered an engaging, delightful story with two incredibly likeable protagonists that will have you reading Blame It on Bath all through the night. Gerard is caring, considerate, wonderfully sexy. It’s easy to see why Katharine falls hard and fast for him. Katharine, in turn, was the heart of Blame It on Bath for me. She’s had her confidence and personality beaten down all her life and it’s not until she meets Gerard that she starts to let her true self shine through. I loved watching Katharine come into her own over the course of the story. She and Gerard are such a great pair that I’m sure it won’t be long before I re-read their book — seeing them fall in love was that delightful.

Blame It on Bath is the second full length book in Ms. Linden’s The Truth About the Duke series. Ms. Linden provides enough backstory that readers new to the series don’t have to have read One Night in London to follow along. However, I expect that both One Night in London and Blame It on Bath should be read before the final book is released, as the overarching storyline about the duke’s first marriage will be resolved in the next book. I can’t wait to learn the truth about the duke. And speaking of dukes, after reading Blame It on Bath, I’m more excited than ever before to find out what Ms. Linden has in store for the current Duke of Durham, Charles de Lacey. If his book is even half as good as Blame It on Bath is, readers will be in for a treat!(less)

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May 02, 2012 Amy rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012, historical, kindle-loan

This was my first book by Ms. Linden. I enjoyed the writing style and the story. It is the second in a series but I had no problem diving in without reading the first. I like marriage of convenience stories; seeing a couple get to know each other and work out a relationship. That was the part I most enjoyed...the mystery was in the background and in fact will continue into the next book which would annoy me if I was too invested in it. Some plot devices and character motivations made my head hur...more

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Feb 21, 2012 Jen (Red Hot Books) rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-romance, arcs

Caroline Linden hasn't let me down yet and this latest book is no exception. It picks up as a companion story to One Night in London, though I think it would still make sense as a standalone. The premise to the series: after the Duke of Durham's death, his three sons find out that his marriage to their mother may have been invalid. A blackmailer claims to have proof that the Duke was married to another woman first and never divorced. With their legitimacy and estate at risk, the sons now must fi...more Caroline Linden hasn't let me down yet and this latest book is no exception. It picks up as a companion story to One Night in London, though I think it would still make sense as a standalone. The premise to the series: after the Duke of Durham's death, his three sons find out that his marriage to their mother may have been invalid. A blackmailer claims to have proof that the Duke was married to another woman first and never divorced. With their legitimacy and estate at risk, the sons now must find out who the blackmailer is --and stop him before he ruins their future.

This story follows the efforts of the youngest son, Gerard. He plans to track down the blackmailer and silence him by whatever means necessary. But as a third son, he knows that even if he is successful, he'll need a wealthy bride to keep up his standard of living. Enter Katherine. She's heard about the scandal surrounding the Durham family and she presents herself to Gerard for marriage. She is a very wealthy widow, albeit a plain one, who has nursed a secret affection for him for years. Of course, he doesn't remember the one time they met years ago, but her offer and her sizable funds prove to be irresistible.

After a quick wedding, the two of them head out for Bath, so Gerard can continue his quest. Katherine, or Kate as he calls her, is quiet and kind of awkward. But Gerard quickly indoctrinates her into the ways of passion. They connect quickly in the bedroom, but Kate finds herself longing for a deeper connection with her husband. It's a pretty straightforward love story, as Gerard slowly realizes what a hidden gem his wife really is. In the meantime, Kate must learn to stop hiding behind the careful façade that she built to deal with her unkind mother and uncaring first husband. She must also learn to trust in Gerard and believe in her own worth.

I know I have said it before, but one of the reasons I like Caroline Linden books is because she doesn't rely on standard tropes to advance her stories. I never find myself rolling my eyes or annoyed by unnecessary misunderstandings. We're just watching two people grow and learn what it means to love. Oh yeah, and the sex is hot too.

We don't get much further in the blackmailing arc, but the story sets up Charlie's book nicely, where we're sure to see a resolution. I'm also happy to say that we got an appearance from Margaret, the heroine from "I Love the Earl." We get her perspective on the scandal surrounding her brother (the Duke) and we see how her HEA played out. I enjoyed this one. 4 stars.

*ARC Provided by NetGalley(less)

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Jul 04, 2012 Caz rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 4-5-stars, favourites, romance-regency, kindle

I loved this book and will be getting hold of the others in the series asap. I'm not a huge fan of mysteries, but I thought that the one here was done very well indeed, and didn't overshadow the romance.

Marriage of Convenience turns to love is one of my favourite tropes in HR, and this is extremely well done. Katherine approaches Gerard de Lacy and asks him to marry her to prevent her being forced into marriage with her late husband's nephew. Gerard needs to marry an heiress becuase of the possi...more

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Feb 28, 2012 Jo (My House of Books) rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorites

3.5 stars

A great addition to this intriguing series. Blame it on Bath may be my favorite thus far.

Gerard de Lacey is the third son of the late Duke of Durham, whose first marriage is causing what's being billed as the Durham Dilemma in the scandal sheets. Katherine Howe is a wealthy widow who needs protection -- and a husband. Since Gerard needs money (regardless of the outcome of the Durham Dilemma) and Katherine has it, Katherine proposes they get married.

What I enjoyed most about this book...more

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Feb 08, 2012 Lisa rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-romance, caroline-linden, netgalley

Lady Katherine Howe is feeling quite a bit of pressure to marry her late husbands heir in order to forgive a large debt that must be repaid to her otherwise. Her late husband squandered her entire dowry and her father gave him a loan that must now be repaid. But Katherine does not want to be forced into another marriage not of her choice so she comes up with a rather bold plan. She plans to propose to Gerard de Lacey--yes, that de Lacey of the wild rumors of illegitimacy--as she knows he will be...more Lady Katherine Howe is feeling quite a bit of pressure to marry her late husbands heir in order to forgive a large debt that must be repaid to her otherwise. Her late husband squandered her entire dowry and her father gave him a loan that must now be repaid. But Katherine does not want to be forced into another marriage not of her choice so she comes up with a rather bold plan. She plans to propose to Gerard de Lacey--yes, that de Lacey of the wild rumors of illegitimacy--as she knows he will be in need of a large fortune if the rumors are true. But her deeper reason for wanting this marriage to the bold captain has to do with one long ago rainy afternoon in which he kindly helped her--a plain, quiet young lady.

Gerard is stunned when he receives a most unique proposal from this rather unremarkable looking woman. Kate, as Gerard grows to call her, is so careful with her wording and demeanor and he just can't understand why she wears such dull, drab clothing and as he is most intrigued to find out more about her, he agrees to her proposal. He steals a kiss and is relieved to find there is a bit of passion hiding underneath her facade. As Gerard was on his way to Bath to uncover clues as to who is blackmailing his family, he takes Kate with him as soon as they are married and together they try to find the right balance for their new marriage of convenience.

If you read the previous book in this series, One Night in London, this book takes place during the same time as that one but with hardly any overlapping as most of the story is set in Bath versus London. I was a bit surprised by this as the ending of One Night in London left me quite anxious for this one and I was a little disappointed that the reveal of what happened isn't almost until the end of this story. I understand that the whole book leads up to the dilemma Gerard got himself into but I was hoping for a bit more scandalous reveal I guess. *shrugs* Once Gerard finally confesses the reason for being in Bath to Kate, they are able to uncover some clues about the blackmailer but overall this book seemed a bit light in the illegitimacy issues and I would have liked it to move forward in that direction more.

I really enjoyed our two characters. I liked that Kate is not a raving beauty and is quiet and we get to see her emerge from her shell and transform into a lovely butterfly and I really enjoyed how Gerard saw her for her true self almost from the start. He quickly learns that getting Kate to smile is one of the best things to do and he loves to watch her transform when she gives a rare smile. Gerard for his part is brash, bold and a bit quick-tempered but he learns to curb this soon around his new wife as she divulges she suffered some abuse from her first husband. Together, they mesh and this is a sweet yet hot romance of two people finding love where they least expect it. Overall, I enjoyed this book for its uniqueness of no titles for the couple, a different location, an unassuming woman just waiting to be polished off a bit and a decisive hero. There really is no major action or danger to take away from the romance so it truly is a lovely romance to watch emerge. I know I am anxiously awaiting the final book in this series and the teaser already has me wanting it right now even though this book left me wanting a bit more from it. 3 1/2 stars

I received this eARC from Avon via netgalley.com
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Mar 19, 2012 Vikki Vaught rated it 4 of 5 stars

Just finished this and found it delightful. There wasn't alot of conflict between the protaganists and I found that refreshing. So many love stories have the main characters hating each other in the beginning and that wasn't the case in this one. I found Gerard and Kate easy to fall in love with, especially Kate because she wasn't the typical drop dead gorgeous heroine. It was interesting to read how she blossomed from the tenderness Gerard showed her from the beginning. I;m looking forward to t...more

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Mar 04, 2013 Courtney Tonokawa rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: regency-historical, reading-challenge

The De Laceys are my new favorite historical romance family...they're right up there with the Bridgertons as the best ever! I loved One Night in London, and this one was even better. Normally, romance "series" contain characters in the same family or group of friends, but the stories are not related. I like the relationship between the stories, and how they take place at the same time. It's well written, and it doesn't feel like you're reading the same thing twice.

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Apr 08, 2012 Booklover, Indianapolis rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-in-2012, u-k-historicals-1700s-1800s

(April) This book was going to be a 4.5* book until it got bogged down during a separation between Gerard and Kate. Overall, though, I really enjoyed this one - I liked both H/h, the sexy times were very good, and the ending was "just right." The only thing I got confused about was the excerpt for the next (last) book about Charlie, the Duke - he is not portrayed as a Duke! Maybe I missed something? Doesn't matter, I'm looking forward to reading that one too.

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Feb 03, 2013 Laura rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-100-books-personal-challenge

Loved this book and loved this little series.

I thought the characters in the entire series were so human and believable. I read this book first and felt like I saw each hero especially though is own point of view, and then later through his brother's point of view and it made me love him all the more.

I recommend reading the entire series fairly close together so each of the books are fresh in your mind while reading the next one.

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May 11, 2013 Aspoon rated it 5 of 5 stars

Blame It On Bath is now my all time favorite book to read. It covered all the areas I enjoyed to read (charm, wit, sexual chemistry, a rushed marriage, a good fight and of course a splendid hero) If there were more men like Gerard De Lacey, the divorce rate would be low. I enjoyed capturing the growth between both Katherine and Gerard. I will forever own this book and would recommend all to read it at least once.

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Feb 20, 2013 Ewa rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: heroine-tstl, marriage-of-convenience, sexy-sexy-times, regency, hero-nice-guy, read-again

I don't have that much time to read books nowadays, so when I read this one I basically skipped to get to the 'good stuff'. That is probably why I liked this book so much.

But first let me tell you what I didn't like that much about it.
Kate joins my 'TSTL heroines' hall of fame. I don't like heroines pining for a guy for over a decade, but this wasn't her biggest sin. It was being her bitch of a mother's doormat.
"Mama" was the worst and even though Kate was very well aware of the fact that she...more

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Sep 24, 2012 Sarah T rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-romance, read-in-2012

I often give 3 stars to books I read, enjoyed, and am probably going to forget right away due to the characters not being very memorable. I wonder if I should. A lot of romances I feel are between "it was okay" and "I liked it." This was one of them. The heroine was kind of a doormat and I didn't really buy the hero falling in love with her when he did.

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Mar 03, 2012 Shari rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: romance

I like that what could have been dumb misunderstandings that go on for ages were cleared up, usually quickly, by the couple talking to each other. How about that for refreshing?!?! Plus, the aging, plain spinster is my favorite kind of heroine. I liked watching this woman come out of her shell and find some strength.

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title link	preview: Blame It on Bath
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Blame It on Bath (The Truth About the Duke #2)

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